South Park Flashback: "Are You There God? It's Me, Jesus." Review

The end of the millennium approaches and people want some answers from South Park's most famous resident.

South Park proved long ago that it was not just a silly and vulgar cartoon. It is those things, to be sure, but more often than not – it proves to be so much more. One thing South Park tends to do well is religious satire. This isn't exactly a crowded field in mainstream television, as it can be a pretty touchy subject. The fact that South Park gets away with as much as it does is rather surprising. Perhaps it's because so many people dismiss it as a silly and vulgar cartoon...

"Are You There God? It's Me, Jesus" is an early example of some sharp religious-themed humor coming from creators Parker and Stone. Their decision to have Jesus living in South Park itself dates back to the original Parker and Stone short films that pre-date the series. It's a bit of off-the-wall genius to have kept up this device, as it has allowed the show to do some brilliant commentary. This includes entire episodes dedicated to an idea as well as on-the-fly jokes in other episodes. It's easy to bring Jesus into a story when he lives down the street.

This episode originally aired on December 29, 1999 – just two days before the much ballyhooed start of "The Year 2000" or "Y2K." South Park has always had a knack for commenting on an event right around the time it's elevated in the public consciousness, and this is no exception. This was a time when all anyone could talk about were the implications of the end of a millennium, the fabled Y2K computer bug that would end life as we know it, and on and on. South Park's take on this subject is that people are now expecting something from the powers that be – in this case, Jesus.

But Jesus himself doesn't even know if God has anything planned. Which is a great idea – that not even Jesus has all the answers. He tries to stall by preaching the classics, but Mr. Garrison won't have it screaming "We've heard that crap before, we want something new!" The episode tackles the general sense of malaise and uncertainty that filled the air before the new millennium. There was a sense that something had to happen. We'd just gone through another thousand years of civilization... surely there'd be some kind of sign of passage or a revelation or at least a certificate.

Oddly enough, this episode also features (as did last week's flashback, "Scott Tenorman Must Die") Cartman wrongly believing he'd achieved puberty. Instead of buying pubic hair, this time he's bleeding from the anus (due to an undiagnosed colon infection) and thinks he's having his period. These early seasons tended to make much more of the fact that the boys are young and naive on most adult issues – and this is a classic example.

While the episode addresses the notion that faith is built on uncertainty and doubt – and that there are no easy answers – it ends with Stan getting the chance of a life time. After 2000 years, God is willing to answer one question from mankind. Stan blows it by asking why he hasn't started his period. God gives him the obvious answer and reveals that he'll answer another question in the year 4000.

This episode could be seen as blasphemous in a variety of ways. There's the fact that God appears as some sort of hippo-snake-monkey critter; prompting Mr. Garrison to admit he didn't know what to expect but "Not that." Then there's the angry mob approaching Jesus with a crucifix (just before God appears at the end, you might miss it...).

But Parker and Stone, to this day, remain enigmas as far as religion and politics are concerned. They've proven to be equal opportunity offenders as just about every group is concerned – but their take on faith has always been more complex and nuanced than blind devotion to any one way of thinking. Some even believed the pair were atheists (including their friend and proud atheist Penn Gillette), but they rebuked this as well in the Season 10 episode "Go God Go." This episode may not achieve classic status, but it is an early example of how -- beyond the crude animation and bleeding anus jokes -- South Park is one of the smartest shows on television.